Village officials have approved two agreements to create an auxiliary police force and to assign a police officer to Peotone School District U207. The Village Board recently voted 5-0 to approve both measures, while also approving the hiring of three officers for the auxiliary police program. The auxiliary police force will add up to 10 part-time officers, each of whom must work at least eight hours per month. It is meant to supplement Peotone's Police Department, which...

More than two months after he was shot in the chest and nearly died, Del Pearson's biggest challenge, oddly enough, remains his left hand. The decorated Chicago police officer can wiggle his fingers and open his hand wide, but he cannot make a fist because of nerves damaged in his left arm from the shooting. Pearson, a three-sport athlete in high school, has fractured bones before, but he knows this injury will require patience. "There's not a doctor that...

Village commissioners have agreed to lower the minimum age for auxiliary police officers to 18 from 21 and to remove a residency requirement. The changes, approved last week, were made to avoid litigation because village attorneys said the pre-employment qualifications could be seen as discriminatory. Auxiliary officers serve as observers and traffic guides during special events and major disasters in the village, in addition to aiding in crime prevention. Instead...

Since last summer, three current or former Town of Cicero employees have sued town leaders, claiming frequent sexual harassment that has allegedly included inappropriate touching. The attorney representing all three women said the claims demonstrate the sexism pervasive in Cicero's government. A town spokesman argued the suits are stabs at a financial windfall based on a belief that suing Cicero is like "hitting the lottery." "Cicero has a history, and people know this, of 'file...

If Fox Lake resident and former police officer Ted Beskow has his way, the streets of his northwest Lake County village will be flooded with cops. And best of all for the cash-strapped village, the new crimestoppers will come free of charge. Beskow, a lifelong resident of Fox Lake and former detective sergeant in the village's police force, is hoping to convince village officials to let him organize a group of volunteer, auxiliary police officers. The part-time officers would...

Donald A. Ferro, Age 67, US Army Veteran, Beloved son of Sophie, nee Tamulevich and the late Anthony; dearest brother of George ( Marilyn ) CPD; cherished nephew of the late Anthony, late Benny and the late Richard Tamulevich; dear family member of the entire Ferro family; and fond friend of many. Retired Lithographer, member of Azure Lodge #1153, Darius-Girenas AL Post #271, Medinah Shriners, Lithuanian Craftsman's Club and the Reserve and Auxiliary Police of Illinois. Funeral services...

Police Supt. Fred Rice said Tuesday that he hopes to have 100 volunteer auxiliary police officers on the street by the end of the year and added that a recruitment drive for the force could begin within weeks. Rice said, however, that it was still too early for residents to apply. "We`re trying to civilianize the Police Department as much as we can," Rice said. "We`re going into auxiliary police in the next month or so. We`re requesting volunteers to assist us at different special...

The uniforms will change, but many of the faces will stay the same when the Niles Park District takes over security duties on Tuesday. The parks patrol was created after the Police Department informed Park District officials that a recent rules change would increase the cost of using auxiliary police officers from $13.50 to $55 per hour, said Joe LoVerde, executive director of the Park District. He said auxiliary officers have patrolled the parks for at least a decade. "We are excited to get this...

Since last summer, three current or former Town of Cicero employees have sued town leaders, claiming frequent sexual harassment that has allegedly included inappropriate touching. The attorney representing all three women said the claims demonstrate the sexism pervasive in Cicero's government. A town spokesman argued the suits are stabs at a financial windfall based on a belief that suing Cicero is like "hitting the lottery." "Cicero has a history, and people know this, of 'file...

Berwyn police and the FBI are calling on Italian authorities to help them determine if numerous items discovered in a tidy brick bungalow are real, fake or stolen, Berwyn Police Chief William Kushner said Thursday. Agents from the FBI's art theft program, who have been cataloging items from the home since last week, have not been able to determine whether the items are authentic, Kushner said. A son of the late owner of the home told police the items may have come from Italy, so...

Donald A. Ferro, Age 67, US Army Veteran, Beloved son of Sophie, nee Tamulevich and the late Anthony; dearest brother of George ( Marilyn ) CPD; cherished nephew of the late Anthony, late Benny and the late Richard Tamulevich; dear family member of the entire Ferro family; and fond friend of many. Retired Lithographer, member of Azure Lodge #1153, Darius-Girenas AL Post #271, Medinah Shriners, Lithuanian Craftsman's Club and the Reserve and Auxiliary Police of Illinois. Funeral services...

Under a proposed salary structure still awaiting approval from the Cicero Town Board, most of the administrative team that is in place for Town President Larry Dominick would receive between $35,000 and $55,000 a year. The salaries are less than those of the administration of former President Ramiro Gonzalez. Several in Gonzalez's office received more than $60,000, including two who made $79,000 last year. In Dominick's administration, Jorge Rueda and Victor Garcia would make $35,000;...

The Washington administration will seek to add 500 officers to the Chicago Police Department, an administration source disclosed Tuesday. In another move to strengthen the department, Police Supt. Fred Rice announced Tuesday that he will build a civilian volunteer auxiliary force of about 100 people by Jan. 1. With the 500 officers, Mayor Harold Washington hopes to increase the department's authorized strength to 12,500 officers in next year's budget, it was learned. But with the...

The village will provide traffic control at Schaumburg Flyers baseball games this summer at an $18,000 savings over last year. Village trustees approved a measure Tuesday night that will allow the Police Department to use auxiliary officers and some police officers to direct traffic around Alexian Field for the minor league team's 40 home games. The stadium is off the Elgin-O'Hare Expressway at Springinsguth Road. Police Lt. Dennis Carroll said auxiliary officers do not carry firearms or...

Berwyn police and the FBI are calling on Italian authorities to help them determine if numerous items discovered in a tidy brick bungalow are real, fake or stolen, Berwyn Police Chief William Kushner said Thursday. Agents from the FBI's art theft program, who have been cataloging items from the home since last week, have not been able to determine whether the items are authentic, Kushner said. A son of the late owner of the home told police the items may have come from Italy, so...

Village officials have approved two agreements to create an auxiliary police force and to assign a police officer to Peotone School District U207. The Village Board recently voted 5-0 to approve both measures, while also approving the hiring of three officers for the auxiliary police program. The auxiliary police force will add up to 10 part-time officers, each of whom must work at least eight hours per month. It is meant to supplement Peotone's Police Department, which...

In 21 years on the Police Department, Chief Robert Warner has never had a 4th of July off-and neither has any of his officers. All 34 of the department's sworn officers and 12 auxiliary police will be on duty Monday as Batavia holds one of the area's biggest fireworks displays. "From day one when you get here, you just know you don't get to take a vacation around Independence Day," Warner said. "We just need every available body for crowd control, and with everyone working, we...

Responding to criticism of a plan to use retired police officers as village marshals in Dolton, Mayor William Shaw said he plans to use marshals only to help police in emergencies and if gang-related activity increases. "At this point, I have no plans to use marshals," Shaw said. The controversy started last month when village trustees voted to approve his ordinance to use marshals in town. A trustee who opposed the ordinance, Mary Kay Duggan, said the plan was the...

Under a proposed salary structure still awaiting approval from the Cicero Town Board, most of the administrative team that is in place for Town President Larry Dominick would receive between $35,000 and $55,000 a year. The salaries are less than those of the administration of former President Ramiro Gonzalez. Several in Gonzalez's office received more than $60,000, including two who made $79,000 last year. In Dominick's administration, Jorge Rueda and Victor Garcia would make $35,000;...

A recent proposal by Police Chief Gene Kelly to use volunteer auxiliary officers to augment the regular force already has volunteers lining up for positions that have yet to be created. Kelly said he proposed at a committee meeting last week using auxilaries to cope with village budget cuts, and several people from the Round Lake area have shown an interest in serving without pay if the Village Board approves the idea. Some of the would-be volunteers have varying...